Now a global sensation, the chocolate chip cookie had humble origins

Sweet taste of success

A perennial favourite, chocolate chip cookies came from humble beginnings.

Photograph by: Brenda Carson
, Fotolia.com

When two people agree on a deal, it can turn out to be a sweet situation for many. Such was the case with Ruth Wakefield and Andrew Nestlé, whose business arrangement caused countless people they didn't know to make a lot of dough.

I'm talking about cookie dough, of course, not money. How that unrolled began in the 1930s at the Toll House Inn, located in Whitman, Mass., south of Boston. Ruth and Kenneth Wakefield owned the Inn, and one of Ruth's tasks was preparing fine home-cooked meals for guests. She was qualified to do so, being a graduate of the Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts, and a former dietitian and food lecturer.

At the inn, Ruth served some great savoury dishes, but it was for her desserts that she became locally famous. One of her favourite creations was called Butter Drop Do cookies, a recipe that dates back to colonial days. The story goes that one day when Ruth set out to make those cookies, the Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar she had on hand inspired her to do something different. She decided to chop up the bar and add it to her cookie dough. She thought the chocolate would completely melt in the oven, tried it anyway, and to her delight those bits of chocolate softened, but held their shape.

She had made cookie history. Her now-named Toll House cookies became very popular at the inn, and word of mouth caused them to become a conversation starter around the region.

Sales of Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bars soared. That became even more so when Andrew Nestlé and Ruth Wakefield struck a deal that would allow Nestlé to print the Toll House cookie recipe on its packaging.

The company looked for ways to make it easier for home cooks.

According to a Nestlé company website, Verybestbaking.com, they scored the bars and packaged them with a special chopper for easily cutting them into small morsels. Shortly after, in 1939, they began offering tiny morsels of chocolate in convenient, ready-to-use packages. Nestlé still makes those morsels and other companies now make a similar product. No matter who makes them or what it says on the package, they are commonly referred to as chocolate chips.

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

In another bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until well-combined and lightened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough on the baking sheets, spacing each about 3 inches (7.6 cm) apart. Bake the cookies 1 sheet at a time for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack, and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Eric's options: If 48 cookies are too many, turn only half the dough into cookies and roll and freeze the rest. To do so, set a piece of parchment or waxed paper 20 inches (51 cm) long on a work surface. Form the half dough you want to freeze into a log 16 in. (41 cm) long and about 2 in. (5 cm) wide, and roll and seal inside the paper. Twist the ends of the paper to seal. Freeze the cookie dough log until needed. Will keep up to 2 months.

When needed, let log warm at room temperature 30 minutes, and then slice into 3/4-in. (1.9-cm) pieces. Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheets as described above.

Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies This recipe is from my book, Everyone Can Cook Everything. Wholewheat flour adds fibre to this version of one of the world's favourite cookies.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 13 to 15 minutes per cookie sheet

Makes: 24 cookies

1 1/4cups (310 mL) whole wheat flour

1/2tsp (2.5 mL) baking soda

1 1/2cups (375 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2cup (125 mL) butter, at room temperature

3/4cup (180 mL) packed golden brown sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the flour and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine; stir in the chocolate chips. In another bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well-combined and lightened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at

a time. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Drop 2-tbsp (30-mL) amounts of the dough on the baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches (7.6 cm) apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Eric's options: If you like nuts, replace 1/2cup of the chocolate chips with 1/2cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.

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